City of London
City of London | |
|---|---|
| Nicknames: the Square Mile, the City | |
| Motto(s): | |
Location within Greater London | |
| Coordinates: 51°30′56″N 00°05′35″W / 51.51556°N 0.09306°W | |
| Status | Sui generis; city and ceremonial county |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Region | London |
| Roman settlement | c. 47 AD (Londinium) |
| Wessex resettlement | 886 AD (Lundenburg) |
| Wards | |
| Government | |
| • Body | City of London Corporation |
| • Lord Mayor | Alastair John Naisbitt King |
| • Town Clerk | Ian Thomas |
| • Admin HQ | Guildhall |
| • London Assembly | Unmesh Desai (Labour; City and East) |
| • UK Parliament | Rachel Blake (Labour; Cities of London and Westminster) |
| Area | |
• City | 1.12 sq mi (2.90 km2) |
| Highest elevation | 69 ft (21 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population (2022) | |
• City | 10,847 |
| • Rank | 295th (of 296) |
| • Density | 9,700/sq mi (3,700/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC±00:00 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (BST) |
| Postcodes | |
| Area code | 020 |
| Geocode |
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| ISO 3166-2 | GB-LND |
| Police | City of London Police |
| Patron saint | St. Paul |
| Website | cityoflondon |
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The City of London, also known as the City, is a ceremonial county and local government district with city status in England. It is the historic centre of London, though it forms only a small part of the larger Greater London metropolis.
The City of London had a population of 8,583 at the 2021 census, however over 500,000 people were employed in the area as of 2019. It has an area of 1.12 sq mi (716.80 acres; 2.90 km2), the source of the nickname the Square Mile. The City is a unique local authority area governed by the City of London Corporation, which is led by the Lord Mayor of the City of London.
Together with Canary Wharf and the West End, the City of London forms the primary central business district of London, which is one of the leading financial centres of the world. The Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange are both based in the City. The insurance industry also has a major presence in the area, and the presence of the Inns of Court on the City's western boundary has made it a centre for the legal profession.
The present City of London constituted the majority of London from its settlement by the Romans in the 1st century AD to the Middle Ages. It contains several historic sites, including St Paul's Cathedral, Royal Exchange, Mansion House, Old Bailey, and Smithfield Market.